I finished writing my one and only novel a little over a year ago. It was born from a couple of paragraphs that popped into my head that I just had to write down. This novel was years in the making. Having a full-time job and two very busy kids, I didn't have a lot of time or energy for writing - or I guess the discipline. Working on my novel wasn't something I could work on for ten minutes here and there. I had to be in the zone, and without a lot of interruptions. When I retired from my job, finishing my novel was one of my top priorities.
I have given birth to two kids, but in many ways, giving birth to my novel was more painful and more personal. After all, I had help creating kids, but my novel was all mine. And it wasn't finished in nine months time. For years, these characters lived in my head. I didn't create their lives and adventures - they talked to me; they told me what they would do or say next. I thought I might be crazy until I was at a talk by mystery author Erica Spindler. When she said that her characters talked to her, I almost cheered.
After finishing the novel, I asked two good friends who are well-read and smart if they would read and critique it for me. I assured them that I am not defensive and no matter what they told me that I would not get angry. I hoped my novel was good, but a part of me kept screaming, "It might suck!" These two ladies gave me great feedback - they found typos I had missed, pointed out the overuse of a certain phrase, and confirmed my suspicion that a particular chapter was unnecessary. So after edits and rewrites, I was ready to start the query process in an attempt to find an agent. Little did I know the struggle!
It wasn't too long before the rejections began rolling in. The majority of the replies are rather generic responses or form letters. "Unfortunately, the project you describe does not suit our list at this time. We wish you the best of luck in finding an agent and publisher for your work, and we thank you, once again, for letting us consider your materials." "Thanks so much for thinking of me with this project. Unfortunately, it doesn’t match what I’m looking for at this time. This is an incredibly subjective business, so I encourage you to keep submitting this and I hope other agents feel differently!" "Thank you for the opportunity to consider, but your project is not for me at this time. Best of luck and success in finding the perfect advocate for your work." "I'm afraid it's not right for me, but please keep in mind that mine is a subjective opinion and others will feel differently. I wish you the best in finding a good home for your work." Disappointing, but not exactly devastating.
Then one glorious night, I received this response: "I would be happy to read your manuscript. Please feel free to email it and include this email chain when you reply. Look forward to reading your work." I was ecstatic! I couldn't wait to send her my manuscript. I was on Cloud Nine imagining how much she was going to love my novel. My mind went into overdrive! I could see the novel in print. I was contemplating book signings, interviews, and fans clamoring for a sequel! But as happy as I was then, I was equally devastated a few weeks later when this agent emailed me again: "Thank you for sending me your manuscript. I enjoyed reading your pages. While your story is interesting, I thought there was a little too much telling and not enough showing in the opening chapters. I wish you the best in finding the right agent who can successfully champion your project." Utter heartbreak.
The moral of the story is that writing is not for the faint of heart. As I have said many times, whether you are a writer, singer, artist - whatever - you need to have a tough skin. Accept constructive criticism, though it's up to you whether it's valid or not. Totally disregard negativity. As Taylor Swift sang, "Haters gonna hate." So I am not the best-selling novelist I had hoped to be. I am not even a published novelist yet. At least I can say that I actually finished writing it....
